Moving On
by SweetMemories1998
Summary: What if their stories had gone in a completely different direction? What if Jellal and Juvia had moved on with someone else? And what if they still found happiness? (tribute to the backup ships: Jellal x Ultear, Juvia x Lyon and Gray x Erza) (Jerza and Gruvia Angst) (multi-chapter)
1. Letting Go

**Good morning, dear readers.**

 **So, here I bring you something completely new and different. We all have that phase when we want to change things, don't we?**

 **I've written the same ships for so long and, don't get me wrong, I love them. I love Gruvia, Jerza, Lyredy and etc.**

 **Still, I know that not everyone does. And it recently struck me how hard it must be to like a ship that's underrated/ignored and therefore hasn't many fics dedicated to them.**

 **That is why I decided to write this. Recently I've been seeing a lot of comments on the Animo App about the lack of Gray x Erza and Lyon x Juvia out there. **

**Therefore, I decided to honor these couples cause they are pretty good. Even if I don't 100% ship them, I can't deny there is chemistry there and the idea is beautiful.**

 **With that in mind, this story was born. It was originally supposed to be just about these couples, but somehow I ended up adding Jellal x Ultear as well. (gotta admit, they've become my favorite pairing out of the three developed here)**

 **This chapter will focus on them since I decided to go about this chronologically and they were the first couple to get together.**

 **I don't even know if anyone ships them, but if you do, you're welcome 😉**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 _January of X787..._

It had been 2 years since Fairy Tail's strongest team was declared dead and their memory haunted all who were left behind. Most of all, it haunted a certain blue haired mage who was not a part of said guild, but had strong ties to it.

Jellal Fernandes had once been an enemy of Fairy Tail, yet the fact that he loved the scarlet haired mage Erza Scarlet had changed that. After he was defeated by Natsu Dragneel, he began a long journey towards recovery and redemption.

However, it was complicated by the loss of his memories and news of Erza's death.

It broke him, almost completely. Without her, he didn't feel like he had any reasons to live for.

Even atoning for his sins and becoming a better person seemed meaningless when the person he would've wanted to do it for was long gone.

If it weren't for Meredy and Ultear, he would've probably taken his own life during those years. They were a reminder that he still had to fight for a better future and constantly helped him through his depression.

Ultear, most of all. She understood him like no one else, seeing as she'd committed a ridiculous amount of sins as well. She was the proof he needed that change was possible; which was clear whenever he saw her interact with Meredy.

As the three of them formed their new guild, Crime Sorciere, and committed to purging the world of the darkness, Jellal found new reasons to live.

Although the memory of Erza Scarlet was a constant reminder of all he had lost, with every dark guild they eliminated his desire to live in this new world they were building increased.

Still, there were times when it was hard to remember that and the pain was suffocating. _This was one of them._

* * *

Jellal sat on a rock by the river, hands joined together on his lap as he bend down, facing the water.

His mind was replaying memories of Erza nonstop and he closed his eyes, tears threatening to fall. He was hurting and needed comfort, which Ultear knew.

She had been helping Meredy set up camp, but upon noticing his posture, let out a sigh before slowly approaching him.

Without saying a word, she sat by his side before wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close.

Jellal closed his eyes, taking in her familiar scent which somehow only made it harder not to think of Erza. Swallowing hard, he attempted to chase the thought of her away, but was unsuccessful.

"It's okay. Just let it out." Ultear gently whispered, squeezing him.

 _So he did._ Taking her by surprise, he threw his arms around her in a desperate hug; allowing his head to rest against her chest while he cried.

If it had been anyone else, he might feel embarassed or uncomfortable, but it was _her_. His closest friend and companion, the person who had been there for him when he needed most.

So Jellal allowed himself to just cry and mourn while she comforted him the best she could.

Time passed, but they barely noticed. When he felt like it was enough, he reluctantly pulled apart from the hug and attempted to dry his tears. "Thank you."

"Of course." Ultear gave a sad smile.

"I'm sorry for burdening you with..." She interrupted, shaking her head.

"Don't." They were silent for a few moments, each lost in thought.

"You are always there for me. I don't think I thank you enough for that." Jellal said.

"You don't need to thank me." She quickly replied.

"Why do you always do this?" He wondered.

"Do what?" She gave a confused look. "Refuse to accept my gratitude."

"I don't deserve it." Ultear looked away.

"Of course you do." He shook his head. "You helped me so much. It's only because of you that I'm alive right now."

"Jellal..." He had seen that look in her eyes before many times and always wondered what it meant.

"What is it?" She sighed.

"Nothing." It was the usual response and he always let it go. _Not this time, though._

"You know that you can trust me." Jellal took her hand and squeezed it, giving a reassuring look.

"Not with this." She removed her hand before standing up, back turned to him.

"I know all of your sins, remember?" He stood up as well. "So what could possibly be so horrible that I could not know?"

"Because it is wrong!" Ultear replied, turning around.

"What is wrong?" He asked.

"You love Erza." She answered instead.

"What?" Jellal knew that she was right. Him loving Erza, after everything he had done, wasn't right. He didn't deserve it.

Still, he failed to understand how that could bother her so much.

"I can't do this." She chose to run away as she always did whenever they had this conversation.

"Don't go. Let's talk this through, please." Ultear bit her lip, clearly conflicted.

"No. Can't you just let it go?" Before he could reply, there was a frustrated shout.

"Just tell him, Ultear. He deserves to know." It was Meredy.

"Tell me what?" Ultear remained silent, so the pinkette stepped up. "She's in love with you."

* * *

Jellal was stunned. "Is that...true?"

"Yes." Ultear reluctantly replied under Meredy's firm stare.

"That is...unexpected." He searched his brain for a reason, a sign, anything that might've showed that. "How long?"

"Too long." Ultear looked away. "I never allowed myself to act on it because I knew it was wrong. Still, you didn't make it easy not to fall for you."

"I would've never guessed." She sure had done a great job at hiding her feelings.

"It doesn't have to change anything." She quickly told him.

"Is that really what you want? To keep on pretending?" Jellal wondered.

"It doesn't matter what I want." Taking his hand, she gave it a squeeze. "I know you're still hurting and I don't want to burden you even more."

"Don't say that." He shook his head. _"You were never a burden."_

There was silence once again as he took his time comprehending what had happened. It was so sudden and overwhelming, but as he thought it through, not exactly surprising.

There had been signs; many of them. He had just been blind to it since he never considered Ultear might have feelings for him.

Now that he knew, though, everything became clear.

Every time she had treated him kindly despite them barely being allies; how she had always defended him from Hades; that occasion in which they almost kissed after Galuna Island; how she would hear him complain about Erza's absence for hours.

Those hadn't been mere friendly gestures as he'd assumed; they had come from a place of love.

 _Jellal_ _wasn't sure what to think of that._

Love had, after all, been very cruel to him. Making him fall for the one person he could never have after he had kidnapped and almost killed her; then punishing him by erasing his memories and only returning them once she was gone.

 _Gone_. Erza was gone. She would never come back to him, despite what his stubborn heart had been hoping.

"Maybe we should leave him alone for now." Meredy's soft voice brought him back to reality and he noticed she had taken Ultear's hand and was leading her away.

"Yes." The latter muttered before giving him an apologising look. "I am so sorry. Please, don't think this means anything. We can just keep going like..." He shook his head.

"No. I don't want to keep going like we were before." Meredy stared at him, eyes wide.

"What do you mean?" Ultear too had a surprised look on her face.

"I've been suffering for nearly 3 years. Well, 13 if you count all the time I was under your control back at the Tower of Heaven." Jellal began, making her look away.

"I'm sorry about that." Ignoring her, he continued.

"My life has never been my own and I never got to make the decisions. I didn't choose to become evil and nearly kill Erza, I didn't choose to loose my memories and I certainly didn't choose to fall in love with her." Ultear frowned more with each phrase. "I am tired of that."

"So what do you mean exactly?" By then he was right in front of her-Meredy had stepped away to give them privacy.

"We've been punishing ourselves for so long, but what is the point of never allowing ourselves to be happy? Are we just fated to suffer for eternity?" He brought up some good points, but she still failed to see where this was going. "You said it yourself; we..."

"I changed my mind." Jellal interrupted.

"Meaning?" Ultear raised a brow.

"I want to finally move on from my past...With you." He was staring at her intensely.

"What?" She shrieked, confused.

"Erza is gone. As much as I may have loved her, I have to accept that she isn't coming back." He swallowed hard, fighting against tears. "I need to let go and I believe you can help me with that."

As tempting as the offer was, she knew it wasn't right.

"It's not right; for neither of us." It was hard, but Ultear chose to be selfless. "Using me to get over her will only end in heartbreak."

"It pains me that you would think of it like that." Jellal told her, frowning. "I would never use you, Ultear. You are one of the most important people in my life and I..."

"You're blinded by pain and sorrow." She hated the tears that came down after her following words. "You could never love me and I've already accepted that."

"Do you really believe that?" Jellal asked and didn't give a chance for her to reply. Before Ultear knew what was happening, he had closed the distance between them and was lifting her head before kissing her.

Unexpected, passionate, emotional. The kiss was everything she had imagined it would be and she couldn't think coherently.

For once, the small voice that always reminded all of the reasons why she couldn't was silenced and Ultear simply let herself enjoy the moment.

* * *

After her confession and Jellal's impulsive gesture, they spent a good while discussing the repercussions. More than a week passed before the couple finally decided what to do about their conflicted feelings for each other.

While Ultear wasn't fully certain it was the best choice, she went along with it, hoping for once that the future would bring them happiness.

So they began to "date", although not in the common sense. They were criminals, after all, and thus life was anything but normal.

Amongst defeating dark guilds and escaping the council, a steady relationship arose.

It surprised them both how easy it was to be together, but they relished it. Jellal enjoyed being able to smile again while she seized their time together, knowing it wouldn't be long before it ended.

They were doing great and were actually happy, until Ultear started avoiding him all of sudden.

It started on a date that always brought her sorrow: the anniversary of her mother's death.

Even though she barely talked about Ur Milkovich, both him and Meredy knew exactly how much the woman meant to her.

That is why Jellal always let her be when the anniversary arrived. Even though they had been dating for over a year then and he'd assumed that she'd want him to be there for her on that date, he respected her desire to be alone.

He didn't question it, until weeks passed and she continued to shut herself out. It scared him to think about why she was avoiding him.

Could she be having doubts about their relationship? Had the anniversary reminded her of why she had kept a distance for so long?

Jellal hoped it wasn't the case. The last thing he wanted was for things to revert back to what they were before they had gotten together.

He wanted to talk to her, but what could he say? Did she even want him to say anything?

"I don't know what to do." Jellal sighed, staring at the lone figure by the forest.

"Just give her time." Meredy whispered, giving him a reassuring look.

"It's been two weeks since she's been avoiding me, Meredy." He looked back at the young pinkette. "I'm worried."

She bit her lip. "Honestly, I am too."

"Then tell me what's wrong." Her eyes widened. "I know she must've told you. You two are so close, after all."

"I can't." She looked away.

"Please, Meredy. Let me help." Jellal pleaded.

"She's having doubts." Meredy admitted, faltering under his intense gaze.

"About us?" He asked and she nodded mutely. "Of course."

"I know you can convince her that everything will be okay, but I don't want to break her trust anymore." He understood that.

"I promise that I'll make sure she understands." Meredy sighed.

"Fine. I'm counting on you." Once he had reassured her that Ultear would not be mad, she approached him and whispered everything he needed to know.

* * *

 **So, thoughts? Did it make sense?**

 **I head canon after writing this that Ultear was totally in love with Jellal at some point. I mean, I've been rewatching some old episodes and it just strikes me. What do you think?**

 **Next chapter will focus on Lyon x Juvia and you'll get plenty of Gruvia Angst too.**

 **I'm thinking Friday for the next update, if I can finish the latest one-shot that I'm currently writing.**

 **I wish you all have a pleasant day!**


	2. Is It Love?

**Morning, people.**

 **Seems like no one cares about these ships after all. Oh well, I spent a lot of time working on this story, so I might as well post it anyways.**

 **For the one person ( Star197)** **who wanted to see Juvia's part, here it is.**

 **I took a different direction with her relationship with Gray and I hope it makes sense in the end.**

 **Ps: I kinda forgot that the Games only lasted for 6 days. For the sake of this story, pretend that it lasted for 7, ok?**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 _July 4th, X791..._

After the Naval Battle and Juvia's unexpected defeat, she watched in horror as Lucy was tortured by Minerva. Knowing she would've handled herself much better against Sabertooth's lead, the water mage was overcome with guilt.

After long, heartbreaking minutes of this nightmare, the poor celestial wizard was finally released, falling to the ground like a rag doll. Thankfully, Gray and Natsu were quick and managed to catch her.

Eager to help her friend, Juvia attempted to stand up, but was still unstable from being knocked down by Minerva. She stumbled and almost fell if it weren't for strong arms holding her in place.

Looking behind her, she spotted familiar dark green eyes and white hair. "Lyon?"

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall." His voice was soothing and she was thankful he was there, but why was he there? "The battle is over, so we're allowed to enter the arena. I was worried about you." He added as if reading her mind.

"I need to...Lucy..." She looked towards the blonde who was currently in Natsu's arms while Wendy and Chelia healed her.

"She'll be fine, she's being taken care of." Lyon pointed out.

"Still, she is my friend. I have to help her." Her head was spinning and she felt weak and tired.

"Perhaps you should eat something first. It will help you get your strength back." He suggested and Juvia had to agree. By the way her legs were wobbly, she feared she would pass out soon.

"Alright. Thank you for helping me." Casting him a smile, she took a step forward and almost fell once again if it wasn't for his arm around her waist.

Carefully and slowly, Lyon led her to a restaurant and as they got more distant from the arena, she started feeling better.

By the time they reached their location, she no longer needed his support, though he kept an arm on her back just in case.

They sat down and he ordered a tea and some snacks for her and a smoothie for himself.

Juvia found it surprising that he already knew what she wanted, but then again, they had gone out a few times. However, usually Gray or their friends would be present. They had never been alone together and it made her a little nervous.

As it turned out, she had no reason to be. Lyon was a good conversationalist and he asked her multiple questions about her life. It was strange having someone so interested, but she sure wasn't complaining.

Unnoticed by either, nearly two hours passed and she was puzzled. Why was she having so much fun with someone who wasn't Gray?

"Juvia?" Lyon asked, concerned when she frowned.

"I'm sorry. I got distracted." He eyed her carefully.

"May I ask what you were thinking about?" She blushed, looking away.

"Nothing." He raised a brow.

"Is it a secret?" She laughed, shaking her head.

"No." Smiling, he pressed.

"Then why won't you tell me?" She shrugged.

"Because it's not interesting, truly. How about we go back to asking questions?" Lyon sighed.

"Alright." After taking a moment to think, he asked what her favorite color was.

"Blue." She answered without a second thought and he chuckled.

"Should've seen this one coming. Mine is black." She stared at him in surprise.

"Really? Why do you like it?" He smiled sadly upon answering.

"Because it reminds me of my master, Ur. Did Gray ever tell you about her?" Juvia's eyes widened in realization.

"Yes, he did." Biting her lip, she offered a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault, after all." They fell into an uncomfortable silence after that, until she decided to break it by asking another question.

"I was wondering, what is your favorite food?" Lyon shook his head before a smile came upon his face. He was thankful she didn't press on the subject of Ur; it was always painful to think about the woman who had taught him so much.

After another hour of asking questions and eating their lunch, Juvia turned to him with a bright smile. "This is nice. Getting to know each other. I really do feel like we could be friends." That caused him to sigh as his stomach dropped.

"Just friends, huh?" Her mood changed entirely upon sensing the bitterness in his tone.

"Lyon, look..." He interrupted her, shaking his head.

"Don't say anything." She looked at him sadly. "I know that you don't feel the same way, yet I can't help hoping."

"I'm sorry. The last thing I want is to hurt you, but unfortunately, we don't get to choose who we fall in love with." She replied softly.

"That may be true, but there is no reason why you should be trapped by that love." Pausing, he took a deep breath. "I know Gray is the one you always think about, but that doesn't mean he's the one for you."

"You're just saying that because you love me." Juvia told him, but he disagreed.

"No, I really mean it." Lyon boldly took her hand, relieved when she didn't pull away. "I could make you happy too, Juvia."

"It wouldn't be fair." She shook her head.

"What isn't fair is Gray not appreciating you as much as he should." She frowned, but allowed him to continue. "But I would. I would treat you like the princess you are and do whatever I can to ensure that you're safe and content."

"What you're saying sounds wonderful, but I don't..." He didn't give her a chance to turn him down.

"All I'm asking is that you give me a chance." She bit her lip, unsure. His offer did sound tempting, but would it be worth it to risk both of their hearts like that?

"I don't think it's a good idea." He gave a charming smile.

"It's one date. How bad can it be?" He was right, she thought. There was no need to be so terrified of one simple date, so she agreed.

* * *

One date ended up turning into four. Within the next two days, as the Grand Magic Games came to a close, Juvia spent a lot of time with Lyon.

It was strange and unexpected, but she enjoyed going out with the older ice mage.

On their first date, which was technically the second, he took her for a walk along the Palace Gardens. The night was beautiful and the weather was nice, so he suggested they had a picnic.

After eating all of the various sweets Lyon had brought—something which only Lamia Scale could afford—they lay down on the grass and stared at the star filled sky.

It was truly romantic, like something taken from one of the novels Lucy had lent Juvia.

Although she would've never expected to be sharing that moment with him, it couldn't have been more perfect.

When he asked her to join him for lunch the next day, she was quick to agree. Somehow she found herself wanting to know more about him and spend more time with him.

It was truly puzzling, but by now she'd decided to just go along with it. Who knows, maybe she would find what she'd been looking for all this time.

Explaining to Fairy Tail why she had been missing was no easy task—considering how nosy and overly suspicious her friends were—but she managed to come up with a good lie.

After all, telling them that she had been with Lyon-an enemy during the Games and Gray's long time rival- wouldn't have good repercussions, so she had no choice but to conceal the truth.

Somehow, she had a feeling they knew. Or at least her girlfriends did, because they kept trying to convince her to reveal who she had been with even though she'd assured them that she hadn't been with anyone.

Gray seemed to suspect it as well. She saw the way he gave her suspicious looks when he thought she wasn't looking or how he would always stay close during her conversations with Lucy and Cana.

For some reason, she didn't care about him as much as she used to. It was strange, how only a few days after her declaration of love during the Naval Battle, her feelings seemed to have changed.

Or had they?

* * *

The more she thought about their relationship—and she had thought a lot about it ever since that first conversation with Lyon—the more Juvia wondered if perhaps she had mistaken how she felt about Gray all this time.

After all, whenever she thought of him, she would remember how he'd saved her when they had first met. When he had chased the rain away and and turned her life around.

It was because of him that she had found all of her friends in Fairy Tail and the happiness she'd been seeking for so long.

While before Juvia had convinced herself that was why she loved him, now she began to wonder if perhaps she'd confused love with gratitude. Perhaps she'd become a little obsessed—as Gajeel put it—and too blinded by adoration to notice that she didn't actually feel that way.

Some things couldn't be denied. She felt attracted to Gray—he was a handsome mage after all. They also had an emotional connection due to him saving her and all.

However, what she'd began to imagine ever since that first date with Lyon—when her heart had jumped once he took her hand in his and she had blushed with every compliment he made—was if she had truly fallen in love with Gray.

While Tenrou Island had confirmed both of them had strong feelings towards each other, they were now put into question because she felt something similar whenever she was around Lyon. He somehow made her feel the same way Gray had—something which Juvia hadn't thought to be possible.

Therefore she was extremely confused, to say the least, and neither man was helping make up her mind.

Gray had yet to say anything about her confession of love—which was a bit irritating and another reason to doubt her feelings for him—and Lyon was being as charming as always, despite his promise to keep it down.

With each hour spent with him, her confusion grew. He was the perfect gentleman: polite, caring, attentive. He treated her like a princess-something which she couldn't deny that she loved—always showed interest in her stories and made her laugh.

He made her feel cared for and Juvia liked it. She liked being given attention and having someone willing to listen to her—unlike Gray recently. He seemed to be avoiding her, only sticking around to overhear her conversations.

Juvia knew he probably had his reasons, but she was getting tired of waiting. For nearly a year she had waited for him to fall in love with her and it was exhausting.

The last day of the Games chased away her doubts.

While she and Gray battled Lyon and Chelia, Juvia reflected upon her relationship with both men and the answer finally became clear.

* * *

 **So, what did you think of this new outlook on Gray and Juvia's relationship? Does it make sense? What about her** **interactions with Lyon?**

 **I am a hardcore Gruvia shipper and they are my Fairy Tail OTP, but I can still understand why people might not like them. After writing this, the reasons became clear.**

 **However, this is simply another point of view and not** **necessarily what really happened.**

 **Next chapter will be about Juvia, Gray and Lyon again and you'll get to see more Lyvia scenes. Jellal and Ultear might also make an appearance.**


	3. Falling For You

**Morning, people.**

 **Honestly, I wasn't expecting to post this so soon after I Failed, but I just couldn't resist it. **

**After your response to the latest chapter, I realized that there are indeed some Lyvia fans out there and** **I am glad for that, because they make a great couple and the perfect option in case Gruvia had failed. I couldn't see Juvia ending up with anyone else besides Lyon.**

 **To the shoutouts:**

 **Guest: You're very welcome. I feel you, both Gruvia and Lyvia are good options. Juvia definitely deserves to be treated like a princess. **

**Star197: I agree 100% with what you said. If Juvia had ended up with Lyon in the end (after a lot of developing for this couple, of course), I wouldn't have been dissatisfied since I know she would've been happy too.**

 **Allie: Your reactions to the Lyvia just made me smile. They're killing me too, in this story.**

 **Now this chapter is when the Lyvia truly happens, so happy reading!**

* * *

 _July 7th, X791..._

 _The answer finally became clear._

Juvia didn't want to hurt Lyon. The thought of hurting him made her uncomfortable and she wanted to avoid it at all costs.

He was her friend, after all, and the one person who had been there for her ever since the humiliating moment she had lost the Naval Battle.

He had comforted her and understood her better than anyone. He also loved her, something which had been clear for a while now.

Maybe it was too fast, maybe she needed more than two days to come to a conclusion. However, Juvia felt like it didn't matter how long she took to think about it.

The answer was staring her right in the face.

* * *

As much as her stubborn heart hated to admit it, Gray hadn't shown any clear signs that he was interested in her. He had been a good friend, sure, but whenever she would make her feelings clear, his own remained a mystery.

She had tried, so hard. Had given him every opportunity to show her that he felt the same, but he never did.

It had been three days since she had openly declared her love in front of everyone they knew and he had yet to say anything. What other proof did she need to know that he didn't love her?

Juvia had always told herself that it was worth it, to keep trying. She had convinced herself that Gray would love her one day, that he was the one for her and so she had to wait.

But now she wasn't even sure if _she_ loved him. So what was the point of continuing to fight for something that might not even exist? To keep suffering for a love that wasn't real?

If it wasn't for Lyon, she might have continued to do so. But he had brought the possibility for a new life—one in which she didn't have to suffer due to uncertainty.

She couldn't deny, _she wanted that life._

As much as her heart refused to let go of Gray yet, she knew it was probably best for all parties involved if she chose Lyon.

Still, it wasn't an easy choice. Nothing about this whole love triangle—if this even was one— was simple.

Perhaps the reason she chose Lyon in the end was the knowledge that he could make her happy. And Juvia wanted to be happy.

She had spent her whole life in loneliness, without someone who actually loved her, until Gray came along. He had showed her that happiness was possible, but that didn't mean he would be the one to make her happy.

"Juvia?" He was frowning at her, standing by her side as they were battling against Lyon and Chelia.

She was sure he must've noticed her reluctance to harm their opponents, but he hadn't commented on it.

Overall, he hadn't said much throughout the fight—his attention seemed to be focused on Lyon as he threw remark after remark towards the older ice mage.

"Yes?" Juvia softly asked, giving him a small smile.

"Are you with me?" She furrowed her brows in confusion.

"I'm sorry?" Gray sighed.

"I just said we should do an unison raid to defeat them." He was clearly exhausted and annoyed.

Juvia looked at Lyon, who was arguing with Chelia. She really didn't want to hurt him.

She was about to forfeit the fight so no one had to get hurt, until she saw Lucy's face.

The reminder that her friend's life was at stake caused Juvia to sigh, knowing she didn't have a choice. She had to defeat Lyon so that Fairy Tail could win the games and save the celestial wizard.

"Of course." Giving Gray a tight smile, she took his hand and stood up with his help.

For a moment, he stared at her unsurely, but quickly shook his head and went back to determined. "I need you to focus."

She nodded. "Yes." Then they did it. They performed one of the most powerful and difficult spells there was: an unison raid.

As she watched Lyon and Chelia being thrown back with force, guilt seeped into her heart. _I'm sorry._

"We did it." Gray was smiling at her and she forced herself to smile back.

"Yes, we did." As soon as she overheard the Games' announcer confirm their victory, Juvia removed her hand from his and walked towards the fallen mages.

Chelia was unconscious, as it seemed, while Lyon was groaning in pain. She knelt by his side and gently helped him sit up, ignoring Gray's stare. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." Lyon gave a forgiving smile. "You deserved to win."

"You're hurt." She bit her lip, eyeing his many injuries with concern. It slipped her mind that she had just as many bruises.

"Nah, this is nothing." Lyon quickly reassured, but she didn't pay attention and began cleaning his wounds with what was left of her magic.

"Thank you." He said after a few moments of awkward silence in which him and Gray had a staring contest—not that she noticed.

"I didn't want to hurt you." Juvia admitted, sighing.

"Juvia..." Lyon wasn't sure what to say.

Silence fell upon them as they stared at each other. His eyes were even darker than she'd thought-almost black- and so intense. She couldn't look away.

Thinking about her decision a few minutes before, Juvia made another one. It might not have been the best idea at the moment, but she didn't care.

She brought a hand to gently press against his cheek, causing him to freeze completely. She could tell his breathing was speeding up and could feel his heartbeat fastening as well—they were so close now.

"Juvia?" There was a question in Lyon's eyes once she brought her other hand to his face and held it between her hands.

"I choose you." His eyes widened, but he didn't have time to react. Juvia leant in and softly pressed her lips to his.

The kiss started out soft and awkward, but as soon as Lyon realized what was happening, he deepened it. An arm sneaked around her waist as he brought her closer while the other settled on her hair.

"Crap." Gray whisper-screamed, staring at the couple wide eyed—not that they noticed.

When they were forced to pull apart because of the need to breathe, Juvia broke into laughter, much to everyone's surprise.

She felt light and joyful, unlike Gray. As the realization sinked in, he fell to his knees, mentally cursing himself.

 _It was too late._

"I...wasn't expecting that." Lyon said meanwhile.

"Me neither." Juvia smiled at him.

"Is this really what you want?" Unsureness crossed his face.

"Yes." It didn't take her long to answer for she didn't need to wonder anymore. _She knew._

Even though she didn't love him as of yet—her feelings couldn't have changed so quickly—she knew that _all they needed was time._

* * *

Falling in love with Lyon turned out to be much quicker than she'd imagined. She had assumed it would take at least a few months for her heart to let go of Gray, but that wasn't so.

About a month after their first kiss—a lot happened since then, including Gray almost dying to save her, which confused her to this day—she came to the realization.

It was just another beautiful night and they had been walking along Lamia Scale's gardens during an inter guild party that had been provided—after the Games, the main guilds has agreed to do those at least once a month so that everyone could bond.

Within the first 10 minutes of the party, Lyon has already asked her to accompany him outside, hoping to get away from all the noise and crowd. Juvia eagerly agreed, tired of the constant teasing that her friends would put her through—couldn't they mind their own business instead of obsessing over her love life?

So they found themselves lost—at least she was—amongst the labyrinth consisting of the gardens. Not that they minded, for the sights were so beautiful it didn't matter.

While walking, Lyon had been telling a story about Ur—she loved how open he was about his childhood, unlike Gray—and she had been watching his face.

His eyes were filled with sadness and regret and he was frowning. It was clear that the subject was a hard one, which is why she'd never pushed him to talk about it.

He had admitted once that she was the only one he confided in about Ur and other delicate subjects. He trusted her wholeheartedly and, in the short time since they had started dating, she had began to feel the same.

However, trust was one thing, love was another. Though Lyon tried to stay away from such subject, she knew it must be eating him inside.

She hated causing him pain, but he had known what he had been getting himself into. He had known about her feelings for Gray from the start and that it wouldn't be easy to overcome them.

 _It wasn't_. There were times when Juvia would wish he was the one by her side. Even though she never said it out loud, she had a feeling that Lyon knew.

He had been so patient with her. Never pushing her to forget Gray or fall in love with him. Just as he'd promised, he had simply helped her move on.

 _Juvia appreciated that._ The last thing she needed was pressure since her friends already provided that.

She got lost in thought once again and Lyon, upon realizing that, fell silent. After sighing, he smiled before taking her hand and continuing their walk.

They had just entered a large square with a fountain when they spotted two figures sitting on it. Not wanting to interrupt whoever those were, the couple were as quiet as possible.

They were almost reentering the labyrinth when one of the figures spoke.

Lyon immediately recognized the voice and froze. "Ultear?" Juvia stopped as well.

"Are you absolutely sure?" The time mage was asking.

"Ultear, what will it take for you to believe me when I say I am?" Another voice joined hers. _Jellal Fernandes._

"I'm sorry. It's just..." A pause. " With Erza around and after what happened, I can't help but to feel..."

"You have nothing to worry about." Juvia tugged on Lyon's sleeve.

"We should leave." He turned around instead, facing the other couple.

"I'm not in love with her anymore." Jellal had placed both hands on Ultear's shoulder and was staring intensely at her.

"Are you saying that just for my sake?" Juvia couldn't help but to feel bad for her.

"It's the truth." Jellal lowered one of his hands so that he could take Ultear's and press a soft kiss to it. "I've moved on, thanks to you."

These words hit the water mage hard. _Moved on_. As she glanced at Lyon, she realized that she felt the same.

Even though Gray would always have a special place in her heart, she didn't love him anymore— _if she ever even did._

He was no longer the one she couldn't stop thinking about, whom she wanted to hold and kiss and spend her time with. She had let him go, even if it had taken her a while to notice that.

A smile tugged at her lips once it became clear. "What is it?" Lyon turned his attention to her once Jellal and Ultear kissed.

"I'm just happy." Juvia replied.

"I'm glad to hear it." He didn't seem to feel the same and she guessed it must be because of Ultear's words.

"You know, Jellal's words made me realize something." She told him happily.

"What?" She could tell he was hopeful, despite his attempt to hide it.

Smiling brightly, she told him the truth. "I've moved on too. Even if it's been only a month, I don't feel the same way I did before."

"What do you mean?" Lyon asked, eyes wide. He needed clarification, she realized.

"I mean..." Juvia wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer. "...that I love you."

For a second, he was frozen. But then the words sinked in and his face broke out into a smile. "I love you too."

She knew he had been holding himself from saying it and hearing it made her feel warm and giddy. _Happy_. She truly was happy.

Overwhelmed, Juvia didn't contain herself and crashed her lips onto his in a passionate kiss. Lyon didn't complain, instead replying just as eagerly.

* * *

After that, life became easier and lighter. Both of them grew happier as time passed and their relationship evolved into a fairytale-like romance. Without intending to, they became Fiore's It couple.

Sorcerer Weekly made a few articles about them and even a reporter from Fiore's most popular newspaper interviewed the couple about being in love with someone from a different guild.

That part was a bit hard. Since Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail were located in two different towns, the couple couldn't see each other as often as they wished.

However, that was fixed once Juvia learned teleportation magic from Doranbolt-he had recently rejoined Fairy Tail, probably under the Council's orders.

That way she could reach Lyon easily and they were saved the trouble of taking the train.

Lamia Scale's large resources also helped him reach her faster. Sherry had even convinced her fiancée to lend them Christina once—an impressive feat, but they guessed it must be the power of love.

There were other complications, but Juvia and Lyon didn't care. They knew that they could overcome it and time only proved the strength of their bond.

* * *

 **So, thoughts? Did I do okay with portraying Lyon and Juvia's relationship? I head canon that they would've had a fairytale-like romance since both of them are hopeless romantic.**

 **I wanted to add more scenes of them being cute and cheesy, but this felt like a good place to stop.**

 **Did you like how I connected them to Jellal and Ultear? Those two will be coming back soon and big things will happen.**

 **Next chapter will be about Gray and Erza, so you can expect lots of Gruvia and Jerza Angst. Also, someone will reveal a secret that will change** **everything. Can you guess what that will be?**

 **I wish you all have a wonderful day!**


	4. Our Second Chance

**Morning, people!**

 **Here we go with chapter 4. This one is about Gray and Erza, a couple I've never written before, so I'm not 100% sure about it.**

 **First I want to alleviate your hearts by saying that the big secret which will be revealed in this chapter is a positive one. No need to worry about anyone dying (this time).**

 **To the shoutouts:**

 **Star197: Aww I'm glad you thought so. The next chapter is, in my opinion, the most adorable one. Just Jellal and Ultear's interactions plus Meredy it's just too sweet.**

 **R011ingThunder: Thank you a million times for dropping your comments. It seriously made my day to read all of them, so I am grateful. I'll answer them via PM so that this chapter doesn't get even longer.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 _October 15th, X791..._

 _"You need to figure out how you feel before it's too late."_ Gray was sure that Erza hadn't imagined how prophetic her words would be, yet they came true only a few days later.

It was a moment he would never forget. The desperation and anger he felt then were more intense than ever. He remembered hating himself as the truth finally became clear.

 _He was in love with Juvia._ As much as he had tried to fight and deny it, the moment he saw her kissing Lyon those ignored feelings resurfaced, nearly suffocating him.

He remembered falling to his knees, cursing himself for taking so long to realize it. Feeling like a fool who had been too afraid and blind to notice her.

It had hurt, more than he could've ever imagined. It had been so long since Gray had felt this kind of emotional pain, but losing Juvia was like his heart had been ripped out and shattered.

He hated being the cliche, broken-hearted idiot, but there was nothing he could do. Even if he had thought himself to be strong and immune to such feelings, that couldn't be further from the truth.

He had cared and maybe too much. About Juvia, about his friends, about Ur. It had broken him.

In that moment, as he watched her move on, he had wanted nothing more than to tell her. Confess his love like a love sick idiot so that he could have her.

He didn't, though. There was a small part of him, a more rational side, that took over that day.

Gray was grateful for it. As much as it hurt to see her with someone else, he wouldn't have wanted to ruin her moment with Lyon.

 _He didn't deserve to._

With that in mind, he forced himself to accept it. As their relationship progressed and he had to watch them being happy together while everyone gave him sympathetic looks, he swallowed the hurt and pretended to be fine.

It wasn't that hard; he had been doing that his entire life after all.

However, now that he was aware of his feelings, he decided not to shut himself off anymore. Instead, he chose to keep his heart open so that a second chance wouldn't be missed.

For even if he wasn't a hopeless romantic or emotionally driven person, he did believe in second chances. After all, what was the point of spending the rest of his life regretting losing Juvia?

No, he needed to move on and that could only be accomplished by believing that there was someone else for him.

This knowledge led him to reflect upon all of his relationships in hopes of finding someone who could help him move on.

* * *

In truth, it didn't take Gray long to figure it out. The more he thought about his friends and potential love interests, the more his mind would be directed to her. _Erza_.

She had always been close and, though he hadn't realized it before, now he knew that he had had feelings for her at some point.

As he thought back to every moment, pieces of the puzzle joined together.

When he had seen her crying all those years before, he had felt the need to comfort her. For the first time since losing Ur, his mind hadn't been focused on fighting or wallowing in self hatred.

Later, when Natsu had joined the guild and become awfully close to her, he had felt jealous. He had kept it hidden, of course, but it didn't go away.

When they had fought against Phantom Lord and Erza had come to him-in tears once again- and caught him off guard by throwing herself in her arms, he had felt a strong need to protect her.

He had ignored it since they had more pressing issues at the time, but now he knew it had been a sign of his feelings for her.

Then came the Tower of Heaven incident. That's when Gray had first suspected he might be falling in love with Erza. He remembered feeling protective once again, yet also completely faithful. He threw away logic and simple believed in her.

He remembered when they realized that she was going to sacrifice herself and how angry he was. Heartbroken. Then the happiness and relief that washed over him once she safely returned in Natsu's arms-another time he felt jealous.

After that, Juvia came into his life and everything was messy. He didn't know how he felt about Erza anymore, but it was clear she didn't love him. She loved Jellal, as Lucy made clear.

So he let her go and began falling for Juvia instead. Of course, that didn't end well either.

When his heart was broken and he decided to move on, Erza was there for him. They bonded over failed romances-for she was still in love Jellal, who was apparently together with Ultear-and became closer than ever.

Over the three months following the Grand Magic Games, those old feelings resurfaced and this time Gray didn't take long to realize that he was falling in love with her again.

He had to restrain himself from saying it, though, for she clearly hadn't moved on yet and, truthfully, neither had he.

So he gave it time and just enjoyed her company. Being there for her as a a friend was good enough.

 _Until it wasn't._

During the celebration of Fairy Tail's 100th anniversary, in which all of the other guilds were invited, Gray finally decided to make a move.

* * *

It wasn't planned, but as soon as he saw Erza, dressed in a beautiful silver gown, watching the couples dance with a bittersweet look on her face, the urge to make her feel better was overwhelming.

He asked her to dance and, though she looked surprised for a moment, a smile quickly lightened her face before she agreed.

Having her in his arms was better than he'd imagined. As they danced to a slow song, it felt so right, as if it was meant to be.

He was happy for a while, until he caught sight of Juvia and Lyon. Seeing them together never ceased to cause an ache in his chest.

"She is happy." He said, trying to remind himself why he had given her up.

"She seems to be." Erza commented once Lyon spun Juvia around, both laughing, before bringing her close for a kiss.

"It's still hard to believe." Gray looked away. Even if he had moved on, it still hurt.

"I warned you this might happen, didn't I?" Erza raised a brow.

"Yeah, you did." He sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to get your heart broken." She had said it before, but this time he didn't agree.

"I'm not." Surprised, she frowned.

"What do you mean?" It was the perfect opportunity.

"Losing Juvia has made me think a lot about my choices and the mistakes I've made."

"Meaning?" Erza questioned. Gray spun her around like Lyon had done before, bringing her close by the waist.

"I've been so stupid this whole time, pushing everyone away in fear they might get too close." He finally said the words that had been plaguing his mind for months.

"Im glad you finally realized that." She gave a small smile.

"I realized many things." Gray added before dipping her, catching her off guard.

"Who knew you were such a great dancer?" Erza chuckled once the shock wore off.

"One of which is that Juvia wasn't the only one I had feelings for." He continued.

"What do you mean, Gray?" She froze, face paling.

"I think that maybe, somehow, it's always been you, Erza." He stared intensely into her eyes before taking a deep breath. "I think I'm in love with you."

"No." She shook her head. "You can't be."

"What?" Gray was caught off guard.

"Excuse me." She removed her arms from his neck and turned around, beginning to walk away. He was frozen in place, confused.

"What just happened?" No time to think about that, he reminded himself. He had to go after her.

* * *

"Erza!" Gray called, running after her and attempting to ignore the looks sent their way.

He followed her outside the guild hall and towards the pool area. "Erza, wait?"

"Just go." She didn't turn around.

"Seriously? You're going to ignore me after you were the one who told me to figure out how I felt?" He was getting frustrated now.

Erza remained silent, continuing her walk towards the pool. She seemed to be lost in thought, which was not good because there was a fire ball heading her way.

Gray saw it and his eyes widened. "Natsu." He muttered angrily, cursing the dragon slayer.

Seeing as the ball was flying too fast and Erza had yet to notice it, Gray figured the best course of action was to get her out of the way.

So he pushed her, catching her off guard once again, and they fell to the ground, him on top of her.

"What are you doing?" Erza stared at him angrily, removing his hands from her chest.

"That wasn't... I didn't mean to...Sorry." Gray stuttered, blushing.

She was about to make another remark when she really noticed the position they were in. As a fierce blush across upon her cheeks, her heart tightened.

The last time she had found herself lying like that, with someone straddling her like Gray was, had been on the day of her reunion with Jellal.

Or rather, the day he had unwillingly shattered her heart.

* * *

 _4 months before..._

 _"Erza..." After a long conversation about sins and sorrows, they somehow found themselves entangled._

 _"I thought I'd never see you again." Silent tears streamed down her face as her hands reached for his own._

 _Jellal did the same and started closing the distance between them. She closed her eyes, awaiting the moment their lips would touch, but it never came._

 _He pushed her away. She wasn't sure exactly why, but his next words gave some insight._

 _"I can't. I have a fiancée." He was looking away now, clearly embarrassed and her eyes widened in realization._

 _As she thought back to the interactions between the members of Crime Sorciere earlier, the truth became clear. "Ultear."_

 _Jellal nodded. "I hate to cause you even more pain, but I have moved on with her."_

 _"It's alright. It's been seven years, after all." Erza gave a smile, though her heart was breaking._

 _"I want you to know that I'll never forget you." He told her gently. "You were the one who freed me from the darkness and pushed me to become a better person."_

 _"I'm glad." It was the truth. He deserved to be happy and the part of her that was trying not to be selfish recognized that._

 _"There's something else." Erza glanced at him, curiously._

 _"What is it?" He seemed conflicted once again._

 _"As you've said, it's been seven years. A lot happened over that time." She nodded, confused._

 _"What so you mean?" It couldn't be about the engagement since he'd already mentioned it. So what else could've happened?_

 _Her mind ran through multiple possibilities, but nothing could've prepared her for his response. "Ultear and I... we have a daughter."_

* * *

He had moved on. Had found happiness and love with someone else and as much as it hurt her, she knew that he deserved it.

She had tried so hard to do the same, but letting go wasn't easy. There were times when she had imagined if it was even possible.

Gray had helped her. Seeing him slowly move on from Juvia was enough to give her hope that she could do it too.

He had been her rock over the past few months. He understood her and had cared for her.

Erza knew, she cared for him too. He was, after all, one of her closest friends. She even dared say her best friend.

But could there be something more? Could he truly have fallen for her?

"Do you mean it?" He frowned.

"Mean what?" Erza gave him an intense look. His answer could change everything.

"You said you love me." Gray grinned.

"And I meant it. It's not what I expected, but I can't help it anymore." His eyes gave his emotions away and, sure enough, there was love there. It was so clear.

 _He loved her._ For some reason, that brought warmth to her own broken heart.

 _"You need to figure out how you feel before it's too late."_ She wouldn't make the same mistake. Even if she didn't love him yet, she knew that shutting him down would only prevent her from finding happiness.

 _"I hope you find someone who'll love you as much as I did, Erza."_ Jellal had moved on. There was no chance for them anymore, so there was no use in continuing to dwell on it.

"Okay." Gray stared at her in confusion.

"Okay?" She smiled while lifting her hands to hold his face.

"I accept your challenge." Seeing his frown, she clarified. "Make me fall in love with you."

"You can bet I will." He smirked, closing the distance between them and crashing his lips onto hers.

In the same way one romance had ended, another had just began. This time, though, Erza knew there would be a happy ending.

* * *

 **So, what did you think? This was my first time writing Grayza, so how was it?**

 **After rewatching so many Fairy Tail episodes, I head canon that Gray was indeed in love with Erza until the Tower of Heaven Arc. That's when he realized that she loved Jellal and started falling for Juvia instead.**

 **After writing this story, I feel like they could've become a great couple if Gruvia and Jerza hadn't worked.**

 **Still, I enjoy their friendship so much more. That scene in the second night of the Games with Erza telling Gray to figure out how you feel will always remain one of my favorite moments in Fairy Tail.**

 **I know it might seem like the story's over, but there will be one more chapter after this. It will be about the development of Jellal and Ultear's relationship and you'll get to see how they dealt with the pregnancy and eventually got engaged.**

 **Anyone wanna try to guess the name of their baby girl? It shouldn't be too hard.**


	5. Happiness

**Hello, dear readers.**

 **It's been forever and I don't even know why. I had pretty much finished this chapter, except for the last scene, but it seems I completely forgot to post it.**

 **Well; I hope you will enjoy the conclusion to this story and seeing more of Jellal and Ultear's relationship. After revealing that they had a daughter in the last chapter, I simply couldn't not write about her.**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

 _April of X788..._

Ultear had her eyes closed while she stood by the edge of the forest. The light breeze made her long dark hair flow, though she barely noticed. All she could think about was the discovery that had changed everything.

"Ultear?" She sighed upon hearing Jellal's familiar voice. "I thought you understood that I wished to be left alone."

"I know." His voice was a bit tight and she wondered why. "But I think we need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about." She replied with probably the biggest lie she'd ever told.

"Is that so?" Ultear knew that he was probably raising a brow.

"I'm practicing." She replied curtly.

"Ultear." His voice was tighter now. "I know."

"Know what?" She finally opened her eyes, but didn't turn around.

"Meredy told me..." He paused. "You're pregnant."

Ultear took in a long breath, face paling. "She did now?"

Sensing anger, Jellal was quick to emphasize how the pinkette had been unwilling to give up such information until he had convinced her.

"I'm not mad at her." Ultear said once he was finished.

"Good." Silence fell upon them, awkward and uncomfortable, until she finally turned around to face him. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" He was confused.

"For avoiding you. I should've told you as soon as I found out." He shrugged.

"It's okay." She stared at him, unsurely.

"What are we going to do?" He didn't like the way she phrased the question.

"What do you mean?" Ultear rested both hands upon her stomach.

"This wasn't a part of the plan." Jellal raised a brow.

"The plan?" She shook her head.

"I didn't want this. I can't do it." He was caught off guard. "Of course you can."

"No, Jellal." She swallowed hard, tears threatening to fall. "Here is this perfectly innocent being that we created and I know I'm going to ruin it. I will corrupt it just as I did to you and Meredy."

"That is not true." It was his turn to shake his head. "I know you'll make a great mother."

"I'm a villain." She turned away from his reassuring gaze. "I don't deserve this child and it certainly doesn't deserve to have me as a mother."

"Stop." He wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I thought you'd agree with me." Ultear told him, surprised. "After all, weren't you the one who said that we don't deserve happiness after all that we've done?"

A smile overtook his face as he answered. "That was before I found it."

Noticing she remained tense and unsure, he turned her around yet again. Looking intensely into her eyes, Jellal offered a reassuring look. "We'll be okay."

"How can you be so sure?" He brought a hand to her cheek, pushing her dark hair away from he face.

Jellal didn't answer, instead bringing his face closer to hers for a soft kiss while tightening his hold on her. Ultear eagerly replied while bringing both arms to encircle his neck.

For some reason, that was all the reassurance she needed.

* * *

Months passed and the pregnancy went much better than Ultear had expected. With Jellal and Meredy's help, she made it to her last month without many complications.

The baby was strong, healthy and immensely powerful. They could feel it ever since the third month, when they were taking down a dark guild and one of the members was blasted away when trying to take Ultear down.

After her bump became noticeable and she grew tired during the second semester, Jellal decided to take a break from their goal to focus solely on their child. It was the most important thing in their lives, after all.

Despite the constant guilt that plagued both of them as they remembered every sin, they tried to remind themselves that they deserved the happiness and joy this baby had brought into their lives.

Meredy helped keep them from thinking too much about it. Being younger and still innocent, she managed to tranquilize the two adults with her sweet words.

Every time Ultear looked at the pinkette, it would remind her that she could raise a child without completely spoiling it.

* * *

November of X788 came and it was time for the birth. Just as the pregnancy, it took them completely by surprise.

They had been going towards a dark guild that was rumored to have kidnapped a young girl as Jellal and Meredy prepared to rescue her when suddenly Ultear let out a loud scream as pain overwhelmed her body.

It didn't take long for her worried comrades to realise that the birthing process had began and thus they hurried off towards a nearby mountain where Jellal set camp while Meredy stayed with Ultear.

It were the longest hours of their lives as they awaited for the arrival of the precious baby that had changed everything.

Watching Ultear struggle with unimaginable pain made Jellal wish he could take her place, but she reassured him it was okay. The pain was, after all, part of the process.

He also heard her whispering again and again how it was nothing compared to the pain she had brought into this world and it made his stomach churn. Did she truly deserve to go through that?

Meredy held her adoptive mother's hand throughout the entire process and he could hear her whispering comforting words in her ear.

He knew that he should probably be the one comforting Ultear, but wasn't sure what he could say to make it better. He shared her fears and insecurities, after all; whereas Meredy was more hopeful.

At last came the awaited moment that they would get to meet their child. As the pinkette carefully wrapped the newborn in the purple blanket that used to belong to Ultear, the latter shared significant looks with Jellal once he sat on the bed, wrapping an arm around her.

"Thank you." Such simple words, but they almost made her cry.

"Why?" She swallowed hard, trying to contain the tears.

"For everything." He smiled. "You've made me happier than I thought possible." For once in a long time, there was no trace of Erza in his mind and Jellal was grateful for that.

As much as he had loved the scarlet haired warrior, the reminder that she was gone never ceased to block any happiness he might feel and it used to make him miserable.

However, ever since he had gotten together with Ultear, the pain had become less constant and now, as he stared into those tired dark eyes, it was completely gone.

"Jellal..." Ultear couldn't hold it in anymore, so the tears came down like a waterfall.

He wiped them away gently, still smiling.

"Are you ready to meet your daughter?" Meredy's soft voice made both turn to face the tiny bundle she was carefully holding.

 _Their daughter._ For a moment, they were both silent once the news sinked in.

"Yes. We are." Jellal replied while Ultear sniffled.

Meredy approached them slowly, keeping a tight grip on her little sister. When she arrived at the bed, she carefully passed the baby to Ultear, and there was a small cry of protest.

"She has your eyes." Jellal immediately noticed, smiling.

"And your hair." Ultear said, unable to take her eyes off the beautiful baby in her arms. She was silent now, staring up at the two of them with curiosity in those dark eyes.

There _she_ was. That precious life Ultear had never imagined she would want, but that had become everything she wished for.

"She's so pretty." Meredy said, cooing once the baby looked at her.

"Just like her mother." Jellal couldn't resist, and it was worth it when a smile overtook Ultear's face.

"Ah, stop it." The baby made a sound as if she was agreeing, making the time mage laugh.

"What will you name her?" Meredy asked a moment later, curious.

"Whatever you want." Jellal was quick to say, turning to his partner.

"I think I know the perfect name." He was fairy certain that she would say Ur, in honor of her mother. However, her response couldn't have been more unexpected. "Scarlet."

"Scarlet?" Meredy frowned, confused.

"Ultear..." Jellal swallowed hard.

"I know exactly how much Erza means to you." Ultear told him. "I have no intention of erasing that or replacing her. All I want is for you to be as happy as I am now." Looking back towards their precious daughter, who had was peering at them curiously, she smiled. "And I hope that honoring her will help with that."

"I love you." The words came out before he could think them through.

"What?" Her eyes widened.

"That wasn't how I planned on saying it." He shook his head before a smile came upon his face. "But it's true. I do love you."

"Are you sure?" Ultear knew this is was important since he had never said it before. She hadn't forced him to either.

"I am." Jellal nodded.

A relieved smile came upon her face and she carefully passed Scarlet back to Meredy, who happily cuddled with her little sister, before turning to him. "I love you too."

Wasting no time, Ultear seized his face with both hands before crashing her lips onto his.

Always caught by surprise by her boldness, it took Jellal a while to register what was happening. Once he did, though, he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her just as enthusiastically, keeping a hand on the back of her head as he caressed her soaked hair.

For once in many years, both were hopeful about the future.

* * *

 _1 year later…_

They were living in an abandoned village, having moved there shortly after Scarlet was born. They had decided that going back to defeating dark guilds would be too dangerous with a baby, so they settled down.

As months went by, a routine was established. Meredy would go to a nearby village to get supplies every week while Jellal and Ultear took care of Scarlet.

Both of them came to enjoy parenthood very much and found happiness in the beautiful child that they had created. Watching her grow and learn to sit, crawl and then walk had been an amazing experience that they wouldn't trade for anything.

"Happy birthday!" Meredy excitedly told Scarlet, who was cuddling against her father while her mother prepared breakfast.

"Da-da." The one-year old called, smiling.

"Did you sleep well, Meredy?" Jellal asked, letting go of Scarlet so that she could wobble towards her sister.

"Yes. It was a rather quiet night." Meredy knelt down to hug her before picking her up and kissing the baby's forehead.

"I'm glad that someone's finally learning to sleep through the night." Ultear said, entering the tent with Scarlet's breakfast in hand. The child in question let out a happy sound as she stared at the bowl filled with smashed fruit.

"Are you hungry, little one?" Meredy asked, an amused smile playing at her lips.

"Thank you." Jellal gratefully accepted the second bowl that contained enough fruits for himself and Ultear to share.

The couple then shared a passionate kiss that was quickly interrupted by their daughter, as usual. "Da-da." Scarlet flung at her mother, startling Meredy.

"Easy there." The pinkette put her down and she wobbled towards Ultear, continuously saying 'da-da'.

It had been her first word and the only one she knew so far, thus she referred to anything as it, much to the adults' amusement.

"Come on, baby." Ultear called, sitting by Jellal's side.

They were constantly encouraging her to reach them on her own since the little one had yet to learn to properly walk. Much to their relief, Scarlet rarely complained and, just like her mother, was very persistent.

"There you go." Jellal praised, smiling at his daughter once she managed to reach them.

Meredy also approached the couple and sat down in front of him while Ultear briefly settled the bowl of fruit down in order to hug the little girl, taking comfort in the familiar baby smell.

Once Scarlet began to fist her shirt, though, searching for her breasts, she pushed her away.

"Not yet, baby." The baby complained and tried again, so Jellal intervened, putting down his own fruit bowl and taking her into his arms.

"It's okay." He kissed her forehead while Ultear retrieved Scarlet's breakfast. "You'll eat your fruit first today, okay?"

"Here you go." Offering the brightest smile, Ultear put the spoon into the bowl before leading it towards her daughter.

It was a long, arduous process, but at least they were successful in their goal. After Scarlet had finished eating, Ultear took her back for breast-feeding, giving Jellal an opportunity to eat.

Then, him and Meredy took turns entertaining the little one while the time mage had breakfast. Distracting Scarlet wasn't particularly difficult because she absolutely loved it when they used magic, specially Meredy.

* * *

Once breakfast was done, they walked the short distance towards the river and the pinkette picked Scarlet up, giving Jellal a short nod, before going in.

Before Ultear could follow her, he took her hand and led her away from the river, sitting down on a rock. She sat besides him, confused.

"Jellal, what's going on?" She could tell that he had wanted to be alone with her, but wondered why.

"I wanted to ask you something." Jellal said, making her nervous.

"What is it?" He looked back at Meredy and Scarlet and smiled.

"I never imagined I could ever have this life and I didn't even believe that I deserved it." Ultear was concerned once he looked down sadly. "Specially after Erza was gone, any hope I might've had for the future was gone."

"I know." She sighed.

"But not anymore." Jellal looked back at her, determined. "Thanks to you, I managed to have hope again and now I'm actually happy."

"I'm glad you're happy." Ultear couldn't help but to smile. "Because I am too."

"I wouldn't trade you, or the life we've built together, for anything, Ultear." He told her sincerely and she had to hold back happy tears. "I love you and I want us to continue sharing this future."

"Jellal…" Ultear sniffled and he smiled brightly. "I asked Meredy to buy this last week and I've been waiting to give it to you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box.

Opening it, he revealed the silver ring with a pink stone and her eyes widened. "What…what is this?"

"It's a promise." Jellal said, taking the ring from the box and placing it on her finger. "A promise that I won't leave as I know you fear and I want to be with you. Forever."

Ultear was speechless, staring at the jewel in amazement. It took a while for his words to sink in and, once they did, the tears came.

"Are you…certain…about this?" She sobbed and he nodded.

"Of course." Putting the velvet box back into his pocket, he wrapped his free arm around her waist, bringing her close, before leaning in to kiss her.

Ultear kissed him back passionately, still in shock about what had happened. Though they had been together for over 2 years, she had never expected him to propose to her.

"Da-da." Yet again, their moment was interrupted by Scarlet, but they didn't mind. Pulling apart, the couple offered the excited little girl smiles as she ran towards them with Meredy not far behind.

"So, I guess you two are getting married?" The latter asked, thrilled.

"I don't know." Ultear turned to Jellal with a smirk. "He never asked."

"Seriously?" He raised a brow. "I gave you the ring."

"But that's not enough." Meredy shook her head. "You have to ask."

"Da-da." Scarlet looked at him and he playfully rolled his eyes.

"If you insist…" Taking the ring back, he got down on one knee and took Ultear's hand again. "Will you, Ultear Milkovitch, make my the happiest man alive by marrying me?"

Ultear and Meredy giggled before the former nodded. "I will."

Before he could place the ring on her finger again, Scarlet jumped into her arms. She hugged the little girl with one arm while extending the other.

"There you go." Jellal slid the ring onto her finger before standing up. Joining her again on the rock, he raised a brow. "Are you happy now?"

Ultear offered the most genuine smile. "I am."

* * *

 **So, what did you think of this conclusion?**

 **Did you like Jellal/Ultear/Meredy interactions and my choice for the baby's** **name? What about** **the proposal?**

 **I hope everyone has enjoyed this story and this new pairings. I had so much fun writing about them and hope to do it again in the future.**


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